Letter from Rockford officer Poole’s wife

Friday

Sep 18, 2009 at 12:01 AMSep 18, 2009 at 5:05 PM

This letter is from Robin Babcox-Poole, the wife of Rockford police officer Oda Poole. Poole and officer Stan North were involved in a fatal shooting last month in a downtown church day care. The shooting is under investigation.

SPECIAL REPORT

Fatal shooting at day care

RECENT NEWS

Goal of march: Show support for police

OTHER RECENT BARMORE CASE LETTERS

Police deserve respect

Police must do their jobs

Use heads, not guns

Robin Babcox-Poole

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Editor’s note: This letter is from Robin Babcox-Poole, the wife of Rockford police officer Oda Poole. Poole and officer Stan North were involved in a fatal shooting last month in a downtown church day care. The shooting is under investigation.

An Open Letter to Mayor Lawrence Morrissey, the City of Rockford Administration, Rockford City Council, Mr. Jealous, NAACP, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and all civil and religious leaders of Rockford, IL:

I have lived in the city of Rockford for 30 years of my life. I am tired of accepting excuses for failures in leadership by the city’s elected officials and bureaucratic leadership. My husband, Officer Oda Poole, is the subject of great scrutiny by public officials, members of the clergy, and people speaking to the media as a result of the attempted disarming of a police officer by Mark Anthony Barmore that resulted in Mr. Barmore’s death. I am especially disappointed that these leaders have disregarded the fact that this is an ongoing investigation and have attacked Oda in print and speech using unverified accounts from unconfirmed witnesses. They have done so showing less regard for him, his family, his past and his future than they would have ever done had he actually been charged with a crime—which he has not been, nor do I believe he will be.

After attending Auburn High School and graduating from Jefferson High School, Rock Valley College and Northern Illinois University, Oda accepted a job with the Washington, D.C., police department, one of the most highly recognized, well-trained police departments in the world. Oda was named Officer of Month in the fourth district of Washington, D.C., six times, as follows:

In July of 2001 for exemplifying “teamwork, dedication, and commitment ... resulting in the apprehension of a career criminal with total disregard for life and law enforcement.” (Lt. Jesse James, July 2001).

In April 2003 for chasing and apprehending a violent aggressor who had attacked a man and “struck him several times in the face while telling him, ‘Give me the money or I’ll kill you’.” (Captain Andy Solberg, April 2003).

In May 2003 for his “diligence and efforts in the performance of duty (resulting in) a loaded weapon and a large quantity of marijuana (being) taken off the streets.” (Commander McCoy, May 2003).

In June 2003 for recognizing a dangerous situation in a routine traffic stop that led to the arrest of a suspect for possession of a semi-automatic handgun, cannabis, and 14 Ziploc bags of crack cocaine. Commander Burton stated, “These officers were in danger the minute they approached the vehicle, but for their training were able to resolve this encounter safely and successfully. The actions of these officers exemplify the professionalism and dedication that is necessary to accomplish the work required by officers.” (June 2003).

In October 2003 for recognizing a vehicle that had been carjacked at gunpoint a week prior and capturing the suspect before he was able to “elude apprehension and criminal prosecution.” (Captain Andy Solberg, October 2003).

In January 2004 for “within an hour of an armed carjacking in an adjoining jurisdiction arresting four men ... recovering the victim’s car and much of her personal property including $700 taken from her, and recovered a handgun used in the crime”. Captain Andy Solberg stated, “Police work does not get much better than what this group of officers performed.” (January 2004)

Oda was named Officer of the Year in his patrol service area in 2002. Washington, D.C.’s police force is 3,500 strong. Oda rescued a child from a burning apartment on Jefferson Street in Washington, D.C., and did so again here in a Rockford Public Housing Unit fire in 2006 for which he received a life saving award from the Rockford City Police Department and a Medal of Honor from the State of Illinois. This city has benefited from the exemplary dedication and skills Oda has learned in his decade of service.

The suggestion that Oda acted based on Mr. Barmore’s race is out of line, inflammatory and offensively presumptuous. Oda no more took race into account with his actions on August 24, 2009, than he did when he ran into two separate fires in which the adults present had left without rescuing the children trapped inside. Oda acts based on information he has. On August 24, the information he had was that Mr. Barmore was presumed armed after threatening a woman with a knife. Those of us not in law enforcement cannot comprehend the fear my husband and Officer North had when Mr. Barmore either gained entry into or was let into a day care filled with children. The public has no knowledge of how Mr. Barmore was able to get into the day care because the eyewitness statements to the media keep changing.

Nor does the public know the true account of what happened in the boiler room of that day care, again because the eyewitness accounts to the events keep changing. Local officials, to my understanding, are not yet allowed to discuss details.

On August 24, 2009, Fox 39 News reported 5 hours after the incident that Portia Adams and Marissa Brown witnessed the incident.

On August 25, 2009, in the Rockford Register Star (RRStar), Marissa Brown states, “He came out real slow with his hands up and his head down and they shot him.” She indicated that Barmore was shot in the head. Sheila Brown claimed to have witnessed the shooting.

On August 26, 2009, the RRStar reported that Sheila Brown was also in the parking lot outside of the church.

On August 28,2009, the RRStar reported that the doors to the day care were locked and Mr. Barmore gained entry as someone else was going out.

On August 30, 2009. the Chicago Tribune reported that Sheila Brown witnessed the shooting after she was speaking to Barmore near the church and he walked in behind her. Anthony Stevens stated he told his son “that if you’re being chased by the police you run to the nearest church, because that’s a sanctuary. The police won’t chase you in there.”

On August 31, 2009, the RRStar reported that the Browns had told Jesse Jackson that Barmore was shot in the neck and back. This was after Reverend Jackson and the Brown family had viewed the body. In addition, Reverend Jackson stated the only exit to the basement where the shooting took place was blocked by officers. Are children allowed to be kept in an area of a day care with only one exit?

On September 11, 2009, the RRStar ran an article written by The Associated Press stating that both Marissa and Sheila Brown were talking to Barmore in the church driveway and that Marissa Brown was five feet away when Barmore was shot in the back. Pastor Brown stated that he “saw the slugs” in Barmore’s back when he went to view the body.

We received an email being sent to the public by the NAACP in which Mr. Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP, writes,

“So what actually happened in Rockford? Eyewitnesses say that outside a church day care center, Mr. Barmore encountered two police officers who apparently were looking for him on an allegation of domestic violence. He ran inside the church, and the officers followed him, guns drawn, without a warrant. After Mr. Barmore entered a small boiler room, the police demanded he come out. He slowly exited the room with his hands up. Then, witnesses say, police shot him — in front of small children in the day care center. While he lay face down, witnesses say, police shot him three more times in the back! Additionally, officers have been using intimidation tactics against witnesses, such as sitting outside their homes and slowly driving by their homes.”

And that, “We have also learned that one officer involved in this killing has been accused of several other questionable police shootings.”

Oda has been involved in four shootings, this is not an accusation, this is a fact. Each use of force was deemed justified and appropriate by grand juries. Slanderous suggestions such as these are used to take advantage of the tragedy of Aug. 24 to advance an agenda separate from the one our city is dealing with and with disregard for my husband, Officer North, and Mark Barmore.

As an officer’s wife, I was going to let the aftermath of Mr. Barmore’s death run its course without comment. However, I was appalled by the comment Mayor Morrissey made to The Associated Press in the Sept. 11 article NAACP Seeks Police Changes, “the broader and more relevant question is, do we have an approach between our officers and community members that’s one of sufficient trust so that we can avoid unnecessary conflict and unnecessary use of force” when referencing the attempted disarming of my husband by Mr. Barmore that resulted in Barmore’s death. I cannot believe that the mayor, claiming to be unbiased, would speak in such a way that can be interpreted by those wishing to further their agenda as a suggestion of misconduct by his city officers.

The suggestion that my husband, Officer Oda Poole, and Officer Stanton North followed Mr. Barmore into the church and day care with malice or ill-intent is unmerited. Wearing T-shirts that read “No Justice No Peace” and carrying signs reading “Jail the Killer Cops” and “The Whole System is Guilty” during a march in the “spirit of unity” is not constructive, peaceful, or unprejudiced.

Sincerely,

Robin Babcox-Poole, Graduate of Rockford East High School, Rock Valley College, Northern Illinois University, and University of Maryland

RECENT NEWS
Goal of march: Show support for police
Barmore attorney skeptical of task force
NAACP pushes for use-of-force standards

PAST COVERAGE
Special report: Fatal shooting at day care

OTHER RECENT BARMORE CASE LETTERS
Police deserve respect
Police must do their jobs
Use heads, not guns